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In 1967 Grace Bible began as a Wednesday night Bible study and prayer fellowship, when 67 believers met to seek God's direction for their lives. As members of 2 area churches, these Christians were troubled and confused about changes within their denominations, changes which occurred as a result of theological liberalism. Soon the Lord led them to begin a new church at the present 8 acre property on Charmil Drive in Manchester. In 1968 the congregation built a sanctuary and in 1987 they added a Christian education building and gymnasium.
From the outset the church made 2 essential commitments. First, they affirmed their total allegiance to the inspiration and authority of the Bible as God's Word of truth. Consequently, Biblical teaching and preaching became central in the ministries of the church. Next, they embraced Christ's commission to "go therefore and make disciples of all the nations. . . ." Devoting themselves to the expansion of God's kingdom through evangelism and discipleship, the membership established a world missions program and also began community outreach ministries.
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During the church's 40-year life span, four Senior Pastors have ministered to the flock and four assistant pastors have complemented the Lord's work. The Reverend Paul Wenzel is the current Senior Pastor. The Reverend Greg Breen has been the Youth Pastor since 2002.
As a congregationally governed body, the members participate in the primary church decisions. Additionally, an Official Board of Elders and Deacons facilitates the work of the ministry. The Elders oversee the worship, spiritual life and teaching ministries, while the Deacons supervise the church's property, finances and support ministries. Board members are elected to 3 year terms with at least one year of inactivity required before becoming eligible to serve another term. A large corps of leaders operate under the Official Board's direction.
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Two principles guide Grace Bible's doctrinal beliefs: (1)An absolute commitment to the essential doctrines of the Christian Faith. (2)A tolerance within the Christian brotherhood concerning the distinctive doctrines of the Bible. Consequently, the church is adamant about essential doctrines, such as the inerrancy of Scripture; the virgin birth and deity of Christ; salvation by God's grace through faith alone in Christ; the reality of both heaven and hell; Christ's resurrection from the grave and His future return to earth in power and great glory. At the same time the church is tolerant with one another over doctrinal distinctives, such as the mode and subjects of water baptism; the age of the earth; various schemes pertaining to the second coming of Christ; or styles of Christian music. The church's Doctrinal Basis exhibits this distinction. One section is entitled "Core Doctrines," while another is entitled "Distinctive Doctrines." Members must affirm their absolute belief in the Core Doctrines. They must agree to respect and support the Distinctive Doctrines for the sake of love and church unity. A copy of the Doctrinal Basis is available in the Narthex literature rack.
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To fulfill the work of the ministry, Grace Bible does not rely exclusively on the professional church staff. Instead, regular involvement of the membership is believed to be indispensable in doing God's work, and more than 60% of the teens and adults are active in the church's ministries. These members participate in at least 30 different ministries, all necessary to achieve the church's goals and aims.
Members total 164, and the Sunday morning Worship Hour attendance is approximately 250. About 20% of these live in Hanover, PA. Most reside in Manchester and Hampstead. Guests frequently comment about the friendliness and warmth they receive at Grace Bible. Generous givers, the church has sent more than $700,000 to missionaries in the past 5 years.
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Our mission is to proclaim salvation in Christ both locally and globally, to build up one another in the Faith and to worship the true and living God of the universe. We believe God has saved us from our sins and sent us to reach our generation with the truth of His Word.
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